


for future discussion: birthday cake

by writevale



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: But they're so in love it's never really pre-relationship with these two, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Night Terrors, Pre-Relationship, recovery is not linear, set between 3.05 and 3.13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25935538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writevale/pseuds/writevale
Summary: There's one person aboard the Carte Blanche who may be able to help Peter Nureyev get back to sleep.
Relationships: Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel
Comments: 24
Kudos: 122





	for future discussion: birthday cake

**Author's Note:**

> cw: this tiny tale has half a sentence of referenced violence. if you'd prefer not to read this, please ignore the italicised part of paragraph 8 (just after 'I was wondering if I could stay')  
> otherwise, enjoy!

The sudden, vicious rattle of conditioned air through the vent made the man stalking through the shadowed half of the corridor whip around in panic. There was no-one there.

Peter Nureyev shook his head minutely, slinking onwards despite the continued race of his heartbeat. His anxiety was justified. It wouldn't do to be caught out of bed like this, obviously en route to a certain lady's bedchambers. It wouldn't do to be caught looking like this _ever_ : hair hanging limply around the pale moon of his bare face, eyes puffy, knife outlined in the pocket of his gown like he'd given up concealing it completely.

He'd _thought_ , perhaps naively, that he was done with the nightmares. Now that he was in a more settled environment, well, there was just no need for the haunting reminders of that fateful job on New Kinshasa. Perhaps he was mistaken to think he would ever be done with those particular night terrors. Nureyev shivered as he stepped into the pool of light in front of Juno's door.

Juno had slipped Peter the code to his door two days ago now, the gift accompanied by one of the ex-detective's new and almost unbearably coy smiles. _I'm not suggesting anything!_ Peter pressed the buttons as delicately and quietly as he could and smiled wobbly at the memory of the flash of mortification in Juno's eye. _Dammit, I just want you to know that you're welcome_. _If you ever need me._

He hoped he would still be welcome at this hour. In this state.

Juno's room was lit only by the red glow of the clock on his bedside table and Peter almost cursed as he stumbled over a pile of discarded clothing and _whatever that was_ on his way towards Juno. The beautiful, shadowed curve of the figure under the sheets stirred as he reached the side of the bed. Peter hovered. This was . . . uncharted solar territory.

'Hm?!'

Peter was working his way out of the dark cloud of his nightmare, if forced, he could be made to admit that he was feeling more emotionally fragile than usual. Still, the overwhelming flood of feeling that poured into the carefully closed vault of his chest at the sound of Juno's half-asleep, confused noise was entirely at odds with the controlled tide of emotions Peter was trying to curate for himself.

'Nureyev?' Juno rasped, barely awake. Nureyev made a mental note to never wake Juno up in the presence of anyone else but the cycle of anxious self-instruction was broken by Juno whispering, 'You're really here?'  
'I - Yes. No, no! Don't turn the light on!' Juno's hand hovered an inch away from the light switch and, instead, clumsily reached out towards Peter, sliding down the silk of his robe before encircling his wrist with a weak tug. 'I was wondering if I could stay? I -' _I close my eyes and I feel the slick give of flesh as my knife sinks into Mag's -_ 'Can't sleep.'

Juno mumbled something that was undoubtedly permission and Peter slipped out of his robe, careful with the knife, as the lady shuffled back towards the wall to make room.

The bed was warm enough to feel like an embrace even before Juno rolled forwards to curl an arm around Peter's waist and tuck the thief's head under his chin. It was so . . . _Instinctive_. As though they had been doing this every night for forever. Peter felt his bottom lip tremble and even there, in the dark, fought against the shame of it. Crying wouldn't serve him. He just needed to get some sleep.

Peter hadn't been granted the opportunity to learn whether or not Juno Steel always slept topless, but tonight Nureyev was tucked up against what seemed like lightyears of soft, sleep-warm skin. The memory of that single night they spent together was etched so deeply into the thief's nerve fibres that he could still remember how Juno's body had smelled of copper and blaster-fire beneath his own. The Juno Steel running his thumb in absent-minded circles just above the waistband of Peter's silk pyjamas was not the same person. Peter inhaled deeply, senses filled with the pleasantly floral notes of the shower gel Juno was sharing with Rita and, underneath that, the spicy herbal tang of the tea Jet had got Juno into the habit of drinking.

Juno made a soft, unhappy noise in response to the sigh Peter expelled. His fingers clamped around the prominence of Nureyev's hipbone, tugging him even tighter against his chest. Peter's pulse raced, stuttered, and recovered as a heavy throb in his neck. They were talking about this - about _them_ \- but still, he'd known a line was being crossed the minute he entered the code for Juno's bedroom. There was no denying it now.

'S'okay.' Juno reassured him, 'S'just a dream, Nureyev.' The ex-detective was barely enunciating. 'Nureyev' became a growled 'Nrrrv'. It was certainly endearing enough to begin to distract Peter from the visceral shock of his revisited nightmare. Distracting too, was the feeling of Juno's mouth moving sleepily against his hairline. It was almost a kiss.

Peter blinked into the scarlet-infused gloom. Juno was still mumbling something.

'Still the birthday cake, sometimes.' He exhaled as though he had just shared a great secret with Nureyev and the thief opened his mouth like a particularly confused goldfish. _For future discussion_ , he promised himself.

Hoping to circumvent the risk of saying the wrong thing, Nureyev closed his mouth gently, inhaled deeply through his nose and rolled onto his side, face coming to rest against the warm swell of Juno's chest. If he just laid here, very still and very quiet, he could pretend that he had no past, no debt, no name. He could be Juno Steel's by name and nature and exist only in the spaces where their bodies pressed together.

'Thank you.' Peter swallowed. Juno's arms squeezed him a fraction tighter and the breath left Peter Nureyev in a halting shudder as the barely-awake detective pressed his lips against his forehead properly.

_For future discussion_ , he promised himself. But he would consider the feeling thoroughly, until he finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> [@writevale](https://writevale.tumblr.com/)


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